Physical and spiritual health are important to well-being﻿

Many disagreements followed when I stated the need to reinforce the structure of the “temple” by exercise. Most old-schoolers think keeping the soul clean by receiving the sacraments is sufficient to maintain the “temple.” We keep our houses clean inside and out, but don’t we maintain the structure itself? Of course we do! Likewise, we need to exercise our bodies and keep fit for ourselves as well as for service to others in need and Mother Church.

— Gerald Smith, via online comment

Respecting women

In few eloquent words you have hit the nail on the head about how I have been feeling about myself as a Catholic, and struggling to reconcile the “in the world and not of it,” especially in regard to the Christendom College issue. Very well put.

— Laura Shrader, via online comment

Mr. Rogers

I well remember my young daughters sitting in front of the TV watching Mr. Rogers. His voice and mannerism were calm, and his lessons kept them spellbound. We could use many more children’s shows like “Mr. Rogers.”

— Fran Black, via online comment

We need that expression of care now more than ever. We’re now in a country seriously heading toward civil war of the kind Luke 22 talked about — nothing so neat as Confederates versus Unionists, but rather as messy as brother versus brother.

— Theodore Seeber, via online comment

School shootings

I am 90 years old and have watched things go downhill for years. I remember when teachers had the right to be the boss in the classroom. Seldom did I have an objecting parent. Most often, the father of the abusive student would agree that it was up to us teachers to teach the kids how to behave. I remember when that started to change. There was a woman, whose name I don’t recall, who began writing letters to papers about the rights of teachers to act as parents. That tells me that there is little discipline in schools now. Is that why some schools have policemen? Will it soon be necessary to bring in the National Guard?

— Larry Long, Chesterton, Indiana

Hispanics in schools

There is mention of the need for an “integration” process for Hispanic immigrants. “Integration” into the churches means that the immigrants have their Mass(es), their own sections in their own languages in the bulletins, etc. All of this merely allows separation, rather than unification.

Unification occurs when all Catholics in the parish assimilate — and become one. This does not prevent immigrants from maintaining their heritage in their homes and among friends. The best answer, in many ways, for assimilation into the Catholic Church for all immigrants, is for the Church to return to the Mass in Latin.

— M.P. Smyth, Finksburg, Maryland

Call for conversion stories

OSV Newsweekly still wants to hear your conversion stories for sharing in our pages in our Pentecost issue, May 20-26. Entries should be no more than 250 words long, and they must include the individual’s name, city, state and date of entry (or re-entry) into the Church. A high resolution photograph of the individual being profiled is ideal and should be sent via email. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 13 — and early entries are always welcome!